Easy and Healthy Apple Muffins Recipe with Cinnamon

Today, I’m excited to share a fantastic muffin recipe that combines the cozy flavors of fresh apples and cinnamon with the wholesome goodness of oats. These apple and cinnamon oatmeal muffins are perfect for the fall season and make a delightful addition to your breakfast recipes. They are soft, moist, and bursting with the sweet apple flavor you love. Plus, they have a sweet brown sugar topping that adds a delightful sweet crunch. So, let’s get started!

Why These Easy Apple Cinnamon Muffins Works

Perfect for Fall Baking

These easy apple and cinnamon oatmeal muffins are the quintessential fall bake. With the comforting aroma of cinnamon wafting through your kitchen and the delightful combination of sweet, juicy apples, they capture the essence of the season. These muffins are a wonderful way to embrace the flavors of autumn.

Easy to Make

This recipe for easy apple muffins is straightforward and doesn’t require any advanced baking skills. With readily available ingredients and clear instructions, even novice bakers can whip up a batch of these moist muffins with confidence. It’s a great recipe for those looking to get into baking or for busy individuals who want a homemade treat without a fuss.

Works With Any Apple Variety

The use of a variety of apple types, such as honey crisp, granny smith, and pink lady, contributes to the success of these muffins. Each type brings its unique flavor and texture to the mix, creating a medley of sweet and tart notes. Feel free to just use whatever kind of apples you have on hand or can find at the grocery store.

Wholesome Simple Ingredients

These soft muffins incorporate wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour and rolled oats, making them a healthier choice compared to some traditional muffin recipes. The inclusion of oats adds a satisfying texture and boosts the nutritional value, making these muffins a guilt-free indulgence.

Quick and Convenient Recipe

When you’re craving homemade baked goods but short on time, these fluffy muffins come to the rescue. The batter comes together quickly, and the muffins bake in just 20-25 minutes. This convenience makes them an excellent option for busy mornings, impromptu gatherings, or anytime you want a freshly baked treat without a lengthy baking session.

Customizable and Freezable

These easy muffins are highly customizable. You can adjust the sweetness, experiment with different apple varieties, or even add a handful of nuts or raisins for extra texture. Additionally, they freeze well, so you can make a double batch and save some for later.

Best Apples to Use in Apple Muffins

When it comes to choosing the best apples for your apple-cinnamon muffins, opt for a combination of sweet and tart varieties to achieve the perfect balance of flavors. Honeycrisp apples bring a natural sweetness, while Granny Smith apples provide a pleasant tartness. Mixing in Pink Lady or Fuji apples can add complexity to your muffins!

Ingredients for this Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe

For the Muffin Batter

• 2 cups of all purpose flour or whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, or canola oil works too
• 1 1/2 cups of milk or any dairy-free alternative (I used oat milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup of diced apples

For the Brown Sugar Topping

• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
• pinch of salt

How to make Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb topping – rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Set it aside.

Making the Muffin Batter:

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
4. In a medium bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the wet ingredients along with the sugar. Mix the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup, milk and brown sugar until well combined.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay.
6. Gently fold in the diced apple pieces.

Assembling the Muffins:

7. Spoon batter into the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
8. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the tops of the muffins. This will give your muffins a sweet and crunchy finish.

Baking:

9. Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
10. Once done, remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Variations of these Healthy Cinnamon Apple Muffins

Here are five delicious variations of these delicious apple muffins to tantalize your taste buds. These five variations offer a range of flavors and textures, allowing you to enjoy apple and cinnamon muffins in exciting new ways.

Apple Walnut Cinnamon Muffins

Add a delightful crunch to your muffins by incorporating finely chopped walnuts into the batter. The combination of toasted walnuts and cinnamon-spiced apples creates a wonderful texture and flavor contrast.

Apple Streusel Muffins

For a decadent twist, top your apple muffins with a sweet and buttery streusel topping made from brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and a touch of flour. This adds an irresistible crumbly layer on the top of the muffins.

Apple Carrot Cinnamon Muffins

Boost the nutritional value of your muffins by adding grated carrots to the batter. The sweetness of the carrots complements the apples and cinnamon beautifully, creating a moist and flavorful muffin with a hint of earthiness.

Apple Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Embrace the fall season with a combination of apples and pumpkin spice. Incorporate a teaspoon of pumpkin spice blend into your batter to infuse your muffins with warm and aromatic flavors. It’s a delightful twist on a classic.

Apple Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins

Introduce a creamy surprise by adding a cream cheese swirl to your apple and cinnamon muffins. To do this, fill each muffin cup halfway with the apple muffin batter, add a small spoonful of sweetened cream cheese, and then top with more batter. Swirl with a toothpick for a marbled effect.

How to Store These Healthy Apple Muffins

These apple and cinnamon oatmeal muffins are so delicious that they may not last long, but if you have leftovers, here a few tips on how to store them.

1. Allow your apple muffins to cool completely before storing them. This prevents excess moisture buildup inside the storage container.
2. Transfer the muffins to an airtight container. You can also use a large, sealable plastic bag if you don’t have an airtight container.
3. If you need to stack the muffins, place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking together.
4. If you plan to consume the muffins within a day or two, storing them at room temperature is perfectly fine. However, ensure they are in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
5. If you want to extend their shelf life beyond a couple of days, you can refrigerate the muffins. This will keep them fresh for up to a week. Just be aware that refrigeration can cause the muffins to lose a little moisture, so you may want to warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds before enjoying.

How to freeze Cinnamon Apple Muffins

To keep your muffins for an extended period, freezing is the best option. Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Then place them in a freezer-safe container or a resealable freezer bag. Label and date the container or bag for easy identification.

You can safely freeze these muffins for up to 3 months.

How to Thaw the Frozen Muffins

When you’re ready to enjoy a frozen muffin, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours, or you can microwave it for about 20-30 seconds to warm it up.

Conclusion

These apple and cinnamon oatmeal muffins are the best apple muffins you’ll ever taste, and they’re a great way to enjoy the flavors of fall. I hope you enjoy making and devouring these fluffy, moist, and utterly delicious apple cinnamon muffins as much as I do. They are sure to become one of your favorite things to bake for breakfast or any time you’re craving a sweet treat with a warm cinnamon apple flavor.